Unknown
by serenity143
Summary: CHAPTER 2 UPLOADED... Establishing himself as a Joe was hard for Storm Shadow, considering everyone knew he broke Cobra Commander out of prison. Fortunately, it's a situation he doesn't bear alone...
1. Prologue: Planning

**UNKNOWN**

 **Prologue: Planning**

"I will need you to take care of this for me." The President handed General Colton an antique sword with Japanese markings on the blade and on the sheath.

For their safekeeping, the President entrusts the G.I. Joes with an antique Japanese sword discovered in a dive at the coast of Hawaii.

Looking at it, the General nodded. "We'll take care of it, sir. Just one question: What are these markings?"

"They're Japanese. The general consensus is that it's a formula for changing salt water to gold." The President took a breath. "I haven't had it translated yet so I'm turning this over to you Joes for safe keeping until I have time to be actually there for the translation."

"Nobody will be able to take it from us, sir." Roadblock, commander of Joes reassured.

"That's what I want to hear." The President smiled and clapped the big guy on the shoulder. "I'm sorry gentlemen but I have to go. I'm on a tight schedule. I only came because I wanted to give the sword to you guys personally."

"Count on us, sir." With that, the President entered Halo 1 back to the White House from Joe Base.

\- o -

The President sat down on his place at the Oval Office a couple of hours later with the six individuals in the room looking expectantly on him.

"Well they bought it." He said.

"Mr. President, we're doing this because we believe the G.I. Joes think they're unstoppable despite Cobra bringing them down twice." The young man, bit older than some of the other of the President's visitors voiced.

"Their heads are getting too big for their breeches." The man in his sixties that sat by the President's table, voiced in all honesty.

The President sighed. "True enough, Duncan, though I would still trust them with anything."

Dr. Duncan Xavier is a covert-ops, nano-tech expert with an IQ almost on the par with Einstein's and his own free-reign division at the C.I.A. He's also a close friend of the President.

He looked to the young lady standing behind the good doctor. "And… He would be pleasantly surprised to see you."

Twirling a blond strand around her finger, the young lady smiled not betraying her treacherous thought at the concept.


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting

**UNKNOWN**

 **Part 1: Her**

 **Chapter 1: Meeting**

Carrying his bag over his shoulder, Storm Shadow took a good look around the pit and then back to the direction his sword brother Snake Eyes drew that was on a piece of paper he was currently holding.

After the "complete" wipeout of G.I. Joes the last time, he didn't expect the rebuild to be like this…

Looking around, he estimated that the G.I. Joes have about three hundred new recruits.

Given his history, they were probably told about him.

And there it is… As he walked by, they all looked at him as though they expect him to let Cobra Commander in any minute.

Except… The young woman at the corner, busying herself with inventory of the crate that was in front of her. He may be able to approach her and ask for her help in navigating the Joe base.

When he was near her, he cleared his throat. As she looked up, he was struck by how her dark brown eyes looked, beautiful but sharp. Then she smiled, which made her gorgeous in his eyes and yet… He didn't know… Something felt wrong about the whole thing.

"If I may ask for your aid?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

He handed her the crumpled paper in his hand while she tucked a strand of chestnut brown hair that strayed from her ponytail, behind her ear.

"Oh… Command center. That's easy enough." He was only half listening to her directions but he was able to discern where he needed to go.

"Thank you." That feeling of wrongness persisted. Storm Shadow just ignored it.

"You're welcome." She stretched her back. "You're Storm Shadow right?"

"That is correct."

Her smile widened. "I've heard so much about you. Honestly, I'm a fan."

The last time he heard those words, the sadistic prison warden who spoke them escaped him. That feeling of wrongness heightened.

"Thank you again for your help." He turned to walk towards the Command Center.

"No problem." The girl called out to him.

When he turned back to the girl, she was gone. It was only the crates that were behind him.

A hand clamped on his shoulder. It was Snake Eyes.

"I'm fine." He answered Snake Eye's silent question.

\- o -

She couldn't believe it!

Why? Well because she just met one of the two legendary ninjas of the Arashikage Clan.

He's a handsome one at that.

Thinking about her meeting with Storm Shadow and the mission they needed to do, she concluded that she and her team might have a difficult time with it.

Floating on her hoverboard, she smiled to herself… Oh well…

"Bring the diversion." Her commanding officer ordered on their communications network.

"Will do."

She then activated the charges she planted on the crates minutes ago.

BOOM!

Just as expected, that drew out most of the high ranking Joes including the one she has been briefed that she will see.

"Lock it down!" General Colton shouted as the newly recruited Joes hurried about trying to contain the fire.

"What the hell happened?" Roadblock asked to no one in particular while the fire raged.

As the red-headed Joe, call signed "Lady Jaye", jogged towards the two behemoths of men to find out what happened, she decided it was time.

She swooped down and grabbed the woman by the arm.

"What the…"

The Joe fought back as she anticipated. Still, her skills are non-existent compared to her own and she easily subdued the woman and knocked her unconscious.

She dropped the woman close enough to the ground.

"Jaye!"

"Shoot! Shoot!" She could hear Roadblock order.

Useless… But somehow, something embedded itself to her arm and she fell from her board because of the impact. It didn't matter that she fell at a distance that equaled three-stories.

Still hurts though… Damn…

They gathered around her but they didn't approach. They knew she was dangerous.

"Identify yourself!" The Joe named Flint ordered as he pointed his weapon towards her.

She righted herself, pulled the kunai knife that was in her arm, and cocked her head. Really? That's what bought her down? Snake Eyes is certainly expanding his arsenal.

Instantly, her wound started to heal.

Looking around, she could see that they didn't know what to make of her accelerated healing… Or her outfit for that matter.

Suddenly, a sword suddenly swung its way towards her. Who else would it be?

She dodged, she punched, she kicked Snake Eyes but he was relentless. Good thing with her skills, she could defend herself against highly-skilled ninjas such as Snake and Storm Shadow.

Finally none of it, she drew her swords and matched Snake Eyes strike after strike. It wasn't enough, though, since Snake was able to back her against a wall and capture her… Crap!

Okay… So sometimes, she throws the word "careful" out the window.

Just when he was just about to strike her down: "Snake Eyes enough!" General Colton ordered.

The man held her at sword-point.

"What do you want?! Who do you work for?! Where in hell did you get that ugly ass costume?" Joe Colton's third question was heavily laced with sarcasm.

So her Harlequin costume with matching mask wasn't particularly likable with those who saw but she loved every inch of it. Not just because it made her look hot but because of the nanites that were in it, made her feel protected as well.

"Who I work for?" She started in the mask's altered voice. "You will never know. What I want? The sword that was left in your care."

"You'll never get it."

Despite Snake Eyes holding her with her back to him, she kicked him in the face and was able to free herself. Thank you stretching exercises…

"Give up. You'll never get out of here. Who are you anyway? What do they call you? Joker?" The General was just being insulting.

"They call me 'Harlequin' and you, of all people, should know who I am…"

She could see Joe Colton grind his teeth. "Why is that?" he asked.

"Because I am of your blood…" She willed the nanites to remove her mask.

Her hair, a golden hue of corn, spilled forth. When she opened her eyes, she could see that the Joes were awed by their golden coffee color.

The spark of recognition registered on the General's face. "Rosalie?"

"Hi dad…" A shuriken missed her nose by a mere centimeter.

When she looked to where it came from, she wasn't surprised to see Storm Shadow.

"I knew there was something off about you when I met you a moment ago…"


	3. Chapter 2: Guess

**UNKNOWN**

 **Chapter 2: Guess**

Never had he been deceived like this.

He had always known the nature of people but perhaps, in this situation, it was her beauty that drove him to distraction.

"Did you now?" She mocked him with that devastating smile of hers.

He didn't know how she could change the color of her hair and her eyes in an instant but not knowing how she did it seemed to aggravate him more.

With his swords, he attacked her.

"Storm stop!" He could hear General Colton shout at him.

What the General couldn't see is that his daughter was matching him move for move.

Snake Eyes joined the fight hoping to tip the balance to no avail. Jinx joined the two of them a minute later.

With the three of them, the girl seems to lose her composure but still was able to fend the three of them off.

A strike there, a strike here, surely she can't keep this up. She'll have to slip up sooner or later especially since her attention is divided among three opponents.

"Burst defense active." A computerized female voice said from somewhere.

Suddenly, the girl launched herself into the air and hit the ground of the pit. "Yahhh!" A great force of air came forth from where she hit the ground, throwing all three ninjas of the Arashikage clan away from her.

Jinx hit the water of the pit, Snake hit some of the newly recruited Joes and he hit a very hard wall.

One of her devastating smiles appeared when she saw the damage she caused the three. "So this is the great triumvirate of the Arashikage clan. Nothing to be impressed about."

"Even if you kill them Rose, you can't possibly expect to walk out of here alive." General Colton was only less than ten feet away from the girl.

"Don't come any closer, dad." The girl pointed her sword towards the General.

"Rose, you're alone. Let me help you." Storm could hear the General say.

The girl again smiled one of her devastating smiles. "Who says I'm alone?"

The alarm sounded.

"Shoot her!" Roadblock ordered.

"Wait!" The General shouted again.

When the bullets were about to hit her, someone blocked and cut all the bullets from the air. From the look of the man's apparel, it appears that he works with the General's daughter.

As he stood up, Storm Shadow saw that the man's costume had the motif of a playing card jack.

He turned to the girl. "We have what we came for." He said in his mask's altered voice.

"Good." The girl replied. "I'm getting tired of playing around with these soldiers."

"Fall back."

From the suit of both the girl and the man, something caught Storm Shadow's eyes.

The playing card hover board the girl came in when she first attacked, descended yet again, now accompanied by another one. No doubt for her companion.

They jumped and boarded the boards.

Just like that, they were gone.

Storm Shadow hit the ground with his fist.

\- o -

"They knocked out the Joes we had guarding the sword. We don't exactly know the sedative they used but the Joes are in a coma. Doc says there's no guarantee when they'll wake up." Roadblock massaged his neck while explaining how 10 Joes fell at the hands of four people.

Storm gripped the shuriken in his hand, being careful not to injure himself. He had no idea that one individual can cause so much damage.

"She's the diversion." Flint interjected.

Looking at the each of the people in the room, Storm Shadow saw that General Colton had the look of a man shattered.

"I've got nothing on Rosalie Colton." Jaye announced to the gathered group after tinkering with the computer.

If Storm Shadow's suspicions are correct, they wouldn't find anything connected with that name.

"What are you thinking?" Jinx softly asked beside him.

"No one would find anything under that name."

The group looked to him. "What do you mean we wouldn't find anything?" Looking at Roadblock, he supposes of all the Joes present, he'd be the one to understand the General's dilemma considering he has two daughters of his own.

Storm pointed to the holographic picture of the girl, the picture taken while General Colton tried to reason with her. "Could you enhance that symbol on her thigh?" He requested Jaye.

"Sure."

The symbol, which looked like a three pointed star, was enhanced. If Storm remembered correctly, the same symbol was on the arm of her companion.

"This symbol… It seems out of place with her entire outfit doesn't it?" Storm asked the group.

Those present just looked at one another.

Storm took a deep breath looking at the picture. "Her mother, is she Japanese?" He asked the silent General Colton.

"Half. Why?"

Thinking about it all while looking at another holographic picture of the General's daughter Jaye put up; her heritage, the way she handled herself against him, Snake Eyes and Jinx… What was in his head made sense.

"It's a clan symbol."

Jinx's was shocked. He would be too if he was in her position. "A clan symbol?"

General Colton suddenly stood up. "What? You mean like my daughter is some kind of ninja?"

"Not just some kind. She may not look like it but she is one." Storm Shadow confirmed when the General sank down again on his seat. "What was her mother's name when you met her?"

"Rose Marie is the name of Rosalie's mother."

"What was her family name?"

"Ayame. Rose Marie Ayame."

Jinx and Storm Shadow looked at each other with wide eyes and then they both looked at General Colton.

"The Ayame Ninja Clan."


End file.
